DECIDE HUSTLE
Bombers have a lot to figure out — starting with Cash & Boone — in busy offseason
for any of those players remains to be seen. They also have prospects Anthony Volpe and Oswald Peraza in the minors.
Judge and jury
Aaron Judge is about to enter his final year of arbitration before he hits free agency. Judge said recently there have been no extension talks. That could change this offseason after Judge had his healthiest and most productive year since he was a rookie in 2017. He said Tuesday night he wanted to be a Yankee “for life.”
As for the rest of the outfield, Brett Gardner has a player option for next season and said he would like to return, Aaron Hicks is expected back from wrist surgery, and the Yankees will have to hope Gallo plays better than he did after his arrival from Texas. Clint Frazier’s year was sidetracked by injuries again and his future is unclear.
Catch this
Gary Sanchez wasn’t as bad as he was in 2020, but he wasn’t good enough to guarantee his return to The Bronx. He showed flashes at the plate, but struggled again for long stretches and was subpar defensively. The Yankees decided to keep him around for $6.35 million last offseason, and he will likely cost even more in arbitration next year. Still, getting rid of Sanchez is easier than finding a replacement. Kyle Higashioka is well-suited to his current backup role.
Who’s on first?
Luke Voit’s injuries — in part — led to the trade for Rizzo, and the former Cub got off to a fast start with the Yankees before he landed on the COVID IL. He wasn’t the same at the plate afterward, but he remained solid offensively and provides good defense. He’ll be a free agent, and with Voit suffering a season-ending knee injury last week, the Yankees will have to figure out the position. In theory, LeMahieu could play there, but that’s not why they brought him back for six years and $90 million last offseason.
Starting five
Deivi Garcia and Clarke Schmidt failed to establish themselves as major league options, so the Yankees will need to add starting pitching again to go with Gerrit Cole, Jordan Montgomery, Jameson Taillon and Luis Severino. Domingo German should also be back, and Corey Kluber could come back as a free agent. Bigger potential targets include Max Scherzer, Robbie Ray and Kevin Gausman.